23 Sweet and Savory Apricot Recipes

The Summer Fruits Are Cute, Fuzzy, and so Delicious

Written by
Cathy Jacobs
A freelance journalist and avid home cook, Cathy Jacobs has more than 10 years of food writing experience, with a focus on curating approachable menus and recipe collections.
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Cathy Jacobs
Updated 04/11/21
Dried Apricot Tart With Chocolate Tahini Ganache

The Spruce / Miri Rotkovitz

Sweet, scrumptious apricots are in season through spring and summer (and luckily, the dried variety is available all year round). These apricot recipes will have you baking fresh pies and cakes, combining apricots with savory meats in your slow cooker and oven, making muffins and quick breads, and preserving the fresh fruit in jars to enjoy when summer is long over.

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  • 01 of 23

    Honey Grilled Apricots

    Honey Grilled Apricots

    John Gagne / Getty Images

    Farm-fresh apricots become intensely sweet on the grill. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to turn the charred fruit into an elegant summer dessert.

  • 02 of 23

    Apricot-Chili Barbecue Sauce

    Apricot-Chili Barbecue Sauce

    Sabrina S. Baksh

    Rich with sweet fruit flavor from apricot preserves and amped up with bold-tasting ingredients from Asian culinary traditions, this sticky and spicy barbecue sauce is made for slathering on chicken wings at your next backyard cookout.

  • 03 of 23

    Dried Apricot Tart With Chocolate Tahini Ganache

    Dried Apricot Tart With Chocolate Tahini Ganache

    The Spruce / Miri Rotkovitz

    Create a showstopping dessert to impress a crowd with this decadently delicious tart. A boozy, lightly-spiced apricot filling is nestled with a chocolate tahini ganache inside the sweet pastry crust. Tips are included for an optional lattice topping that'll make a big impression at summer celebrations.

  • 04 of 23

    Baked Chicken with Apricots

    Baked Chicken with Apricots

    Stacie Peterson / E+ / Getty Images

    The sweetness of apricots is a wonderful complement to mild, tender chicken breast. The meat is smothered in a simple homemade sauce of fresh and dried fruit, orange juice, brown sugar, ginger, and honey mustard, then baked to perfection in your oven.

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  • 05 of 23

    Pork, Apricot, and Pistachio Dressing

    Pork, apricot, and pistachio dressing

    The Spruce Eats / Teena Agnel

    Want to win your next Thanksgiving or holiday dinner? Serve your turkey alongside this Gordon Ramsay recipe for a scrumptious pork and sausage stuffing that's full of flavor and texture, thanks to dried apricots, pistachios, apple, and fresh herbs.

  • 06 of 23

    Cocktail Meatballs With Apricot Preserves

    Cocktail Meatballs With Apricot Preserves

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Serve these homemade cocktail meatballs cooked in a tangy apricot barbecue sauce at your next open house or buffet party with toothpicks and napkins alongside for guests to help themselves.

  • 07 of 23

    Herbed Goat Cheese and Apricot Babka

    Herbed Goat Cheese and Apricot Babka

    The Spruce / Miri Rotkovitz

    Move over, chocolate babka! Here's a creamy, tangy apricot variation you can serve at brunch or cut up as a sweet party appetizer. The dough is filled with apricot preserves and herbed goat cheese, baked until golden brown, and topped with more preserves and slivered toasted almonds.

  • 08 of 23

    Colorful Autumn Salad With Apricots

    Colorful autumn salad recipe

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

    Dress up your dinner table with this colorful dinner salad that mingles sweet-tart dried apricots and cherries with salty bacon, tangy goat cheese, fresh spinach and romaine lettuce in a mild balsamic-shallot dressing.

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  • 09 of 23

    Crock Pot Apricot Chicken

    Crock Pot Apricot Chicken

    Eising / Photodisc / Getty Images

    Only a handful of ingredients are needed for this simply delicious entree that starts with frozen chicken breasts and cooks all day in your crock pot. The chicken is flavored with onion soup mix, salad dressing, and apricot preserves, for juicy, flavorful meat.

  • 10 of 23

    Slow Cooker Apricot Preserves

    Slow Cooker Apricot Preserves

    Lauri Patterson / E+ / Getty Images

    Make your own slow cooker apricot preserves for spreading on toast or using in other recipes. It's so easy to do with dried apricots and keeps for up to a month when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight jar.

  • 11 of 23

    Fresh Apricot Muffins With Blueberries

    Fresh Apricot Muffins With Blueberries

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Apricot blueberry muffins smell fantastic when baking and make a healthful lunchbox treat or after-school snack. Feel free to tweak the recipe with a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a few handfuls of chopped nuts in the batter.

  • 12 of 23

    Slow Cooker Apricot Pork Chops

    Slow Cooker Apricot Pork Chops

    Erin Huffstetler

    Apricot pork chops are easy to prepare in your slow cooker, making them a great weekday family meal or dinner party dish for company. The long, slow cooking method with apricot preserves results in ultra-tender pork that stays moist and juicy.

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  • 13 of 23

    German Apricot Cake

    German Apricot Cake

    Victor Lortie / EyeEm / Getty Images

    Impress guests at your next potluck when you serve this stunning, glossy apricot cake. Don't be intimidated by the beautiful display of fresh fruit on top—it's surprisingly easy to make and can be assembled and baked in under an hour.

  • 14 of 23

    Moroccan Chicken and Apricot Tagine

    Moroccan Chicken and Apricot Tagine

    Philippe Desnerck / Getty Images

    Moroccan tagine dishes traditionally mingle savory and sweet flavors and this delicious chicken dish is no exception. Onions, saffron, and ginger help balance out dried apricots and a delectable honey-cinnamon syrup topping. No tagine cooking? Bake it in a Dutch oven.

  • 15 of 23

    Double Crust Apricot Pie

    Double crust apricot pie

    bhofack2 / Getty Images

    Pie lovers, meet your new favorite way to celebrate in-season apricots. This recipe for a lightly-spiced double crust apricot pie with homemade dough is sure to be a hit at spring and summer parties.

  • 16 of 23

    Kosher Lamb Stew With Apricots, Pears, and Mint

    Kosher Lamb Stew With Apricots, Pears, and Mint

    Sterling Epicure

    This lamb stew inspired by Moroccan culinary traditions, with apricots, pears, and fresh mint, is an explosion of flavors in a bowl. Make this rib-sticking, braised meat and fruit recipe when you crave something warming with loads of palate-pleasing flavors.

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  • 17 of 23

    Raisin Flat Breads With Lemon Cream and Apricot Topping

    Raisin Flat Breads With Lemon Cream and Apricot Topping

    Lora Wiley-Lennartz

    Individual raisin flatbreads with a wonderful lemon cream and apricot topping make a standout side dish at holiday meals and special brunch gatherings. Use peeled canned apricots when fresh ones aren't available.

  • 18 of 23

    German Apricot Compote

    German-Style Apricot Compote

    Riou / Photographer's Choice RF / Getty Images

    Make classic stewed apricot compote with vanilla and cinnamon when the fruits are plentiful at the farmer's market in spring and summer. Enjoy as a topping for vanilla ice cream, in your breakfast yogurt bowl, or in sauces for roasted meats.

  • 19 of 23

    Golden Apricot Nut Bread

    Golden Apricot Nut Bread

    The Spruce / Diana Rattray

    Quick breads are easy—even for baking novices—and this one is moist and lovely with diced dried apricots and nuts in the batter adding lots of sweetness and texture.

  • 20 of 23

    Apricot Sour Cream Pound Cake

    Apricot Sour Cream Pound Cake

    Grace Clementine / Getty Images

    Apricot nectar and an entire jar of apricot preserves add luscious summer flavor and moisture to this rich pound cake. It's a lovely treat for your book club or as a Mother's Day dessert.

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  • 21 of 23

    Easy Apricot Cream Dessert

    Easy Apricot Cream Dessert

    steveH / Getty Images

    Canned apricot halves are pureed, then combined with gelatin and sugar and chilled, before they're folded into a fluffy whipped cream to create a light-as-air dessert.

  • 22 of 23

    Bottled Preserved Apricots

    Bottled Preserved Apricots

    Jill Ferry / Getty Images

    Bottling apricots in a simple homemade syrup is a wonderful way to preserve fresh summer fruit to enjoy all year round. Have them on their own or use in baked desserts and yogurt parfaits.

  • 23 of 23

    Orange Juice and Dried Apricot Smoothie

    Orange Juice and Dried Apricot Smoothie

    The Spruce / Christine Benlafquih

    Dried apricots are soaked or boiled, then blended with orange juice and a little sugar to yield a beautiful, refreshing juice. Enjoy it for breakfast or any time you need a sweet, vitamin-packed pick-me-up.